This is the third and final of the live Led Zeppelin records I brought back from our recent trip to Italy. The back cover of this 2xLP indicates it was “recorded in London in 1972 with spare parts.” However, research seems to indicate that the first record is in fact the same recording used on the Ballcrusher release, which is from a 1971 London show. The second record is said to be what was originally put out as Led Zeppelin 1968-1969 and includes material from live sets in Stockholm and on John Peel’s Top Gear radio show. As with so many unofficial releases it’s sometimes difficult to figure out what’s what. The album is perhaps most notable for its use of H.R. Giger’s artwork Li II as the front cover, a striking image that… really seems to have nothing whatsoever to do with the vibe of this record, or anything Led Zep related. Oddly enough this isn’t the only Led Zeppelin unofficial record with a H.R. Giger cover in my collection – Seattle ’73 uses a piece called Baphomet, and it looks like there are at least two others out there, Knebworth II and Absence.
Anyway… sonically the first disc is OK. Across the first seven songs the main challenge is the lack of low end – this is all about the treble. So we get Plant’s vocals out front and perhaps a bit thin, but overall pretty clean. The guitar isn’t too bad, but the bass is a mess, as are the drums, the snares so much more prominent than the low end. “Since I’ve Been Loving You” and “That’s The Way” come across the best in this group. Starting with “Communication Breakdown” we’re clearly getting a different source – the mix is much, much better. Perhaps still a bit on the trebley side, but there is a lot more balance and the low end has more detail and subtlety. “Going To California” sounds excellent, but unfortunately “Dazed And Confused” is cut off part way through the song.
The second disc includes some interview clips of Plant and Page between some of the tracks. The quality of the Stockholm recordings (the last three songs on side C and first song on side D) are marginal – the band sounds far away and small. The three Peel tracks aren’t great either – better than Stockholm, but very tinny and lacking any low end punch.
All in all, not one of the best Led Zeppelin live records. The best material is on the first disc, so spending your money on Ballcrusher instead is probably the better idea if you can get it for cheaper than Spare Parts.